Monday, March 17, 2014

Remains of Chinese war dead to return home from S. Korea next week

BEIJING, March 16 (Yonhap) -- The remains of more than 400 Chinese soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War will return home from South Korea next week for permanent burial, a diplomatic source said Sunday.

The remains will be brought home by plane on March 28 and buried at a state cemetery in China's northern city of Shenyang, the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"Chinese authorities in Shenyang plan to hold a ceremony on March 28 and bury the remains at one of state cemeteries," the source said.

During an official visit to China in December, South Korean President Park Geun-hye offered to return the remains of about 425 Chinese soldiers who are temporarily buried in South Korea after being killed in the Korean War. China immediately accepted the proposal.

The transfer of the remains was finalized last month after China agreed to build a new burial site at one of its state cemeteries. The decision was aimed at avoiding a potential controversy over the planned burial at the Chinese state cemetery in Shenyang. The cemetery officially describes the Korean War as "the War to Resist the U.S. and Aid North Korea."

The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950 when tank-led North Korean troops invaded South Korea. The United States and 20 other allied countries fought on the side of South Korea under the United Nations flag, while China came to the aid of North Korea in the war. The conflict ended in a ceasefire three years later.